Keith Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Keith Andrew Hunter 24 November 1951 |
| Died | 24 October 2018 (aged 66) Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland University of East Anglia |
| Awards | Marsden Medal (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ocean chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Otago |
| Thesis | Chemistry of the sea surface microlayer (1977) |
| Doctoral students | Tuifuisa’a Patila Amosa |
Keith Andrew Hunter (24 November 1951 – 24 October 2018) was a New Zealand ocean chemist who was a professor of chemistry and pro-vice-chancellor of sciences, at the University of Otago.[1]
Born on 24 November 1951, Hunter was the son of Nevin Lindsay Hunter and Othle May Hunter (née Brenton).[2] He was educated at Auckland Grammar School, graduated from the University of Auckland with a first-class degree in chemistry in 1974, and completed his PhD at the University of East Anglia in 1977.[3] He then spent a year at the French Atomic Energy Commission.[2]
Hunter joined the Depart of Chemistry at the University of Otago as a lecturer in 1979, rising to become a full professor in 1994.[2][3] His research focused on trace metals in natural waters, particularly in the ocean, and chemical equilibria in marine and freshwater systems.[2] He found that the productivity of phytoplankton in much of the oceans is limited by the availability of iron.[2]
Hunter served a term as president of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry, and was involved in the establishment of the NIWA/University of Otago Joint Institute for Oceanography in 1996.[2][3] He was awarded the Prime Minister's Science Prize in 2011 and the Marsden Medal in 2014, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1997.[4][5][6]
Hunter retired as pro vice chancellor of sciences at Otago in 2016 after six years in the position, and died at his home in Dunedin on 24 October 2018.[2][7]
Notable students of Hunter include Tuifuisaʻa Patila Amosa.[8]